Summit top peaks at $7750

The stellar supporter of the Pugh family's Summit Gelbvieh bull sale was the Swan Hill, Victorian-based, Garrison Cattle Breeders Pty Ltd.

The company's Rob Woodward was at the sale, not only to pay the $7750 top price, but to buy another seven bulls to average $4781 overall.

And bulls are in big demand by Garrison for use over about 5000 breeders - a composite herd.

"We breed our own calves on several properties in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland," said Rob, who has bought from Summit previously.

After the sale he paid tribute to the Pugh family.

"John and the girls are the backbone at Summit," he said of stud principal John Pugh and his daughters Georgia Pugh and Clare King.

The girls were in the ring handling the quiet bulls and impressed the good crowd attending, as Landmark's John Wirth offered Summit's best at the stud's fourth on-property sale.

The sale's $7750 bull, bought by Garrison, was Summit Rich Boy F124, a polled and ET bull by XXB Big N' Rich (US) and out of Summit Swift, which the Pughs believe is the best cow in their herd.

The 22-month-old bull weighed 692kg when measured on February 16 and his scrotal circumference was 42cm - with two other bulls, the second-highest SC measurement in the catalogue.

The other bulls bought by Garrison included a Shortveigh (Shorthorn x Gelbvieh) at $5750, a Gelbvieh x Red Angus at $4000 and two Gelbvieh x Murray Greys at $4000 each.

Volume buyers were WC, BE and DC Avery, of Nannup, with three purchases to a $4000 top price, while MK Sounness & Son, of Mt Barker, bought two bulls to a $7000 top price.

Tomlinson Ag, of Bremer Bay, bought two bulls to a $4000 top price and buying two bulls each, for $3000 each, were Kentdale Grazing, of Denmark, Daneholm Farm, of Boyup Brook, and G & M Egerton-Warburton, of Cranbrook.

For the first time the Pughs offered females and they were snapped up by discerning buyers.

Sold in pens of five, the first three lots were bought at $1500. These 10 composite heifers were AI'd to Speckle Park sires and were bought by KJ Hough, of Australind, and HD & BP Pearce, of Wilyung.

KJ Hough then bought five red composite cows with calves at foot for $1500, plus five red composites with calves at foot for $1400.

Then, buying 10 purebred Angus cows with Gelbvieh-Angus calves at foot at $1300, were Michael and Diana Fryer-Smith, of Albany, and Keston Vale, of Kojonup.

"They are very genuine females and the good types sold very well," auctioneer John Wirth said.

"It was an outstanding line-up of bulls of very good quality."

Three passed-in bulls sold after the sale ended, making it 30 sold of the 40 offered.

Summit bull sale * <table border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="left">BREED </td> <td>OFFERED </td> <td>SOLD </td> <td>TOP PRICE </td> <td>AVERAGE </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Gelbvieh </td> <td>40 </td> <td>27 </td> <td>$7750 </td> <td>$4065 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>